The very first mitzvah in the Torah directed to the Jewish people occurs just prior to the exodus from Egypt — establishing Nisan as the first month of the year. Parshat Bo establishes a connection between the Hebrew calendar and the notion of redemption. When we look even deeper we come to understand that the calendar is a sign of a necessary partnership between God and human beings. It speaks as well to the notion of constant growth and renewal, and of a religious stance where the deepest truths are elusive. Listen now to Rabbi Leon Morris on Parshat Bo.
Credits:
Larry Kluger – Creative Consultant
Arlene Harel – Production Coordinator
Podcast: Download
Rabbi Leon Morris is the President of Pardes and is the first alumnus to head the institution (Year Program alumnus '94-'95; Summer Program alumnus '93 and '94). Leon made aliyah with his wife Dasee Berkowitz (Pardes Year Program alumna '94-'95) and their three children in June 2014, after serving as the rabbi of Temple Adas Israel in Sag Harbor, NY. He was the founding director of the Skirball Center for Adult Jewish Learning at Temple Emanu-El (now the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center) in Manhattan. Before coming to Pardes, Leon served as a Vice President for Israel Programs at the Shalom Hartman Institute and was a faculty member at Hebrew Union College. Click here to read more.
